Location: Cleveland, Ohio | Ballpark: Progressive Field (43,415) | Spring Training: Winter Haven, Fla.
Owner: Lawrence Dolan | GM: Mark Shapiro | Manager: Eric Wedge | World Championships: 2
--OF Jason Tyner's contract was purchased from Class AAA Buffalo on Sunday. Tyner signed a minor league contract with the Indians just prior to the start of spring training.
"I had some teams interested in me over the winter," said Tyner, "but I felt if I was going to sign a minor league contract, I wanted it to be with a team that had a chance to go to the World Series. I felt Cleveland has that chance, and I've always played well here."
Tyner is a .275 career hitter in the majors, but .357 vs. the Indians. He also hit his only career home run -- in 1,356 major league at-bats -- last year in Cleveland, off RHP Jake Westbrook.
--3B Casey Blake, who hit just .190 with runners in scoring position last year, has 15 RBIs in his last 15 games and is hitting .444 with runners in scoring position this year, which ranks third in the American League.
--LHP Jeremy Sowers may be in line for a recall from Class AAA Buffalo to make a spot start Friday in Cincinnati. The Indians need a starter that day due to the rainout Sunday and the subsequent doubleheader with Toronto on Monday.
--OF Grady Sizemore's first-inning home run Saturday marked the 13th time he has hit a leadoff home run in the first inning. That's five shy of Kenny Lofton's club record.
--RHP Tom Mastny was optioned to Buffalo Sunday as the Indians decided to go with 11 pitchers instead of the 12 pitchers they had been carrying. The Indians recalled Mastny from Buffalo on April 15, but the Indians' starting pitchers have been so outstanding that there hasn't been much work for the bullpen, especially Mastny, who only appeared in two games since his recall.
"It does him no good to be here if he's only going to pitch once every 10 days," said manager Eric Wedge.
In his two appearances with the Tribe, Mastny pitched just 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on two hits.
BY THE NUMBERS 13 -- Number of leadoff home runs in the first inning hit by OF Grady Sizemore in his career. Kenny Lofton holds the club record with 18.
QUOTE TO NOTE "He's proven he can pitch like this. I mean we're not talking about one or two starts."-- Manager Eric Wedge, after LHP Cliff Lee pitched seven shutout innings in a win over the Yankees to improve his record to 6-0, with a 0.81 ERA.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
Fausto Carmona threw his first rehab start for the Indians. He didn't have a David Ortiz performence (3 HR in 3 minor league games) but he didnt walk any in 5 innings but gave up 9 hits and stuck out 2.
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By Wayne Lin. The All-Star game is finished and now the second half of the season starts off with formidable matchups, and players are being called up from Triple A in hopes to make a playoff run. The second half of the season promises to be a hot one with developing story lines in the AL and NL East...
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Last week I posted biggest disappointment of 2008 for the Indians. After a nice sweep of the Rays and some 2007-like timely hitting, I figure I'll be a glass is half full type of guy. What was the best thing from the first half for the Tribe?
As my son and I watched Casey Blake hit that 10th inning homerun last night, at first we both cheered loudly and high-fived for the Tribe...then, all kidding aside, we sort of thought about it and realized it wasn'
